Massage apparatus



June 24 1924.

l.. M. CLEMENT ET AL MASSAGE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26 1919 2Shouts-Sheet 1 L. M. CLEMENT ET AL June 24 1924.

MAS SAGE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26,1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 )ami Elia/aPatented dune Z4, 1924i,

LOB/AINE M. CLEMENT .AND EDWARD E,

1rios.

CLEMENT, OF @SEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

Application filed September 26, 1919.

To all 207mm t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Lonnmu M, @naar ENT and EDWARD E. CLEMENT, citizensot the United States, residing at @eeen City, in the county of Cape Mayand State ot New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in l/lassage Apparatus, oi which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to apparatus for mechanical massage, and has torits object the provision of means to communicate fine vibrations to thehands of an operator. ille produce these vibrations by mea-ns oi anelectrically actuated vibrator to which energy is supplied throughsuitable conductors from a battery or other source of current. To thevibrator as such we lay no claim, as that is the invention of Edward E,Clement, one ot the parties herein named as joint inf ventors. Ourpresent invention has to do with the art of massaging with both handssimultaneously, after the fashion oic so called Swedish movements andthe like. Such massage is difficult to attain without long practice andis always accompanied by certain diliculties and drawbacks to theoperator. By our invention the tine vibiatorj; movements in the handsare produced mechanically, are regulable in intensity and amplitude, andcan be applied as required to any part of the `body ot the subjectwithout shock and without any danger or fatigue to the operator.

Very briefly stated, our invention comprises a pair or metallic platesheld rmly to the backs of the hands of the operator by non-resilientharness, the Jfront edges of the plates resting upon and just to therear of the knuckles of the hands, each plate carrying a vibratorcomprising a fixed armature and a magnet structure mounted on a springto vibrate in the direction of the length of the fingers. The magnetstructure carries a contact which cooperates with a iXed contact carriedon but insulated 'from the frame of the vibrator, so that the circuit ofthe magnet is automatically made and broken as it vibrates. A pair otcords carrying conductors leads from the vibrators, being united behindthe back of the operator and the common cord then being led to aybattery or other suitable source of current. By regulating the intensityof the current Serial No. 326,565.

the amplitude and intensity of the vibrations may be regulated,

Qur invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the harness for the left hand, attachedthereto, the hand being turned palm up.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the hand being turned palm down.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same harness, on a smalle-r scale, spreadout flat.

Fig. e is a longitudinal section through one stra-p and its buckle orslide, showing clearly the means for self attachment and detachment.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing two vibrators attached to the operators twohands, the supply cord and a source of current, the hands being inoperating position.

Referring lirst to Figures l to t inclusive,

the harness is generally designated by the letter H. It consists ot twobands 7i and 717, of material which will not yield and so lose theenergy imparted to it without communieating it to the bony structure ofthe operators hand. We have found a suitable material for this purposeto be linen webbing, which is not resilient and faithful-A ly transmitsthe energy waves of the vibrator to the operators hand. These waves aretoo tine to be considered tangible move-- ments of the webbing, whichmakes it doubly desirable to have as little resilientV quality aspossible. Cotton webbing, and even silk webbing, may be employed whenlinen is not available, but in each of these cases there is loss ofenergy, which makes it necessary to treat a subject at greater length toobtain the same result.

The two bands 7L and 7L are united, as best shown in Figure 3, by abackband h2 and a palm band h3, which extend clear across the width of therespective bands 7iy and h at both ends, and are stitched very solidlythereto. In the drawing these stitohings are shown as extending aroundthe margins of the overlaps and diagonally across the same, but the formof stitching may of course be varied at will.

At the upper end of each band h and It', that is to say the end passingover the upper edge of the hand as shown in Figure l, we provide a slidebuckle ywhich we have spelfi cially designed to meet the necessity fortightI holding Without slipping While. per mitting quick and easyadjustment and removal of the harness. Referring to Figure 4, it Will beobserved that the slide hf* is generally oblong with a ring at one sideand a slotted projection carrying a tab at the other. The ring is markedit, and is for adjusting the band on the hand. The ring is caught on ahook or nail in a Wall or cabinet and the end IL10 pulled With the freehand, causing the band to slide through the two parallel'slots Withinthe oblono' body, over the doubled end secured thereto. ille have foundthat When the slots are proportioned so that there is no space beyondthat necessary for the accommodation of the tivo thicknesses of webbing,the friction of one on the other absolutely prevents slipping. To loosenthe band, after using the vibrator, a simple pull on the tab 72,42secured in the slotted projection 7L moves the slide on the band untilthe hand is released. ln order to hold the long ends IL10 and preventthem from obstructing the movements of the operators hand, We provideflat loops if on both bands, and when the bands are 'tightly adjustedthe ends 72,10 are passed through these loops h5, as clearly shown inFigure S2.

Referring noiv to Fig. 5, we have therein shown tivo metallic plates Aand A to which the vibrators are attached (as also illustrated in Fig.2) secured to the respecY tive harnesses H and H' so that when on theoperators hands the front edges of the plates will rest upon and just tothe rear of the knuckles of the hands. By this adjustment the operatoris enabled, by merely opening and closing his hand to make the bonyportion thereof press more or less tightly against the edge of theplate, and thereby produce the result of greater or less strength in thevibrations as desired. We havenot found it necessary to make the vibrat-ors rights and lefts but the harnesses reeeeo are necessarilyrights and lefts as the rings 7b4 must always come up when the hand isin the position of Figure l.

The electrical connections and the suoplg,Y of current as such, form nopart of the present invention, but will be claimed in combination Withother features and elements described and forming parts of ourinvention. Te believe are the first to present an apparatus of this kindWhich enables Srvedisn movements to be given With both hands, f Y" theymust be to be effective; also the devise a comple-te apparatus of thecharacter described. op-

`We shallclaim our method or eration, therefore, as Well as theapparatus described, both generically and specifically. Figuren showsasimple regulating means in the switch S, the rheostat rh, and the entre.cells of battery B', which when cut in Will supplement the regularbattery B, connected across the terminals c2 c3 of the cord. C whichbranches at c c to the respective vin brators, ivhcse terminals aremarked to correspond. c2 c3.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is:

A harness for mounting an electric vibrator on the hand comprising tivoparallel bands. one litting closely around the hand behind and againstthe knuckles and the other around the Wrist behind and against the baseof the thumb, with longitudinal bands lirniljv connecting said parallelbands on the back and palm respectively. a rectangular metallic platesecurely attached to said back band and knuckle band so that its upperedge Will rest immediately behind and against the knuckles, the saidback band and knuckle band serving to hold the vibrator.

ln testimonyv whereof We affix our signatures.

' LORAINE M. CLEMENT. 4EDV/ARD E. CLEMEHT.

